Thune Latest GOP Leader to Oppose Sotomayor

Roll Call ^ | July 20, 2009 | John Stanton

[Clintonfatigued]

As expected, the Senate Republican leadership continues to line up against the Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor, with Republican Policy Committee Chairman John Thune (S.D.) on Monday joining Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) on the list of official “no” votes.

Thune joins a growing list of Republicans who publicly oppose the nomination. But a number of GOP Senators have also announced their support — including Sens. Dick Lugar (Ind.), the longest-serving Senate Republican, Olympia Snowe (Maine) and Mel Martinez (Fla.). Sotomayor is expected to be easily confirmed by the full Senate following a vote in the Judiciary Committee next week.

In a statement sent out Monday, Thune cited Sotomayor’s position on gun rights as the key reason for voting against her nomination.

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

Good to read.

[Clintonfatigued]

This is kind of good news. We’re not going to win this one, but if the large majority of Republicans vote no on Sotomayor, it boes well for future battles.

[TribalPrincess2U]

The Republicans who saved America!

Keep it up guys, you'll be the heros who'll go down in history.

[blueyon]

keep calling!!!!

[GeronL]

Didn’t have guts to ask her about La Raza....

How many dumb RINO’s will still vote for her?? 20?

[Clintonfatigued]

I’m hoping not. Only three Republicans have announced for Sotomayor so far.

[petercooper]

Thune 2012

[BillyBoy]

Good news, but Thune has shown he's the kind of person who would be perfectly willing to change to a “YES” vote on Sotomayor if he got a huge chunk of pork for SD out of it (not that the Dems need his vote or would be willing to bribe him like that, it's just a hypothetical scenario). He still deserves a primary challenger in 2010 after his betrayal on Bolton and cozying up to McCain. We could do better in SD.

[LibLieSlayer]

voinavich, collins and snowe?

LLS

[Clintonfatigued]

Snowe has already announced her support for Sotomayor. Collins is more likely than not to follow suit.

I’m still holding out hope for Voinovich.

[Clintonfatigued]

The three Republicans who have announced their support for Sotomayor are Richard Lugar, Olympia Snowe, and Mel Martinez.

[BillyBoy]

I think her confirmation is a foregone conclusion, it's just a question of how many Republicans vote against her. Even though Ruth Bader Ginsburg is worse, my guess is Sotomayor gets more NAY votes than Ginsburg (cuz the Dems crucifying every Bush nominee hurt some of the pubbies widdle feelings), but still far short of the amount of Dem opposition to Alito or even Roberts for that matter.

I'd say somewhere in the range of 8-12 NAY votes on Sotomayor? I doubt Vonoivich will oppose her. McCain and Graham are a possibility, but I'm guessing they won't.

Remember when Obama first picked Sotomayor, a lot of conservatives said she was an easy target and would withdraw rather than face a humiliating defeat. Now we're hearing that there will be "at least 65 NAY votes" on Cap-and-Trade, which is "certain to die" in a Senate that has 60 RAT Senators (not counting RINOs like the Maine twins who vote just like RATs). Sure it will...

[Clintonfatigued]

It’s been a foregone conclusion for a while. She didn’t slip up in her testimony and the witnesses against her got little coverage. I think it’s more about the next nominee than her.

[BillyBoy]

I think the next one is a foregone conclusion too. Republicans haven't voted down any RAT judge since the Cleveland administration.

[mrsixpack36]

Yeah its true that Thune cares about Thune and Thune only. He would sell out the entire party if he saw a true benefit. He fits in the mold of a lot of politicians. That being said, he has been a pretty reliable conservative voter. We could do worse than Thune.

[Impy]

“Republicans haven’t voted down any RAT judge since the Cleveland administration.”

Well Supreme Court Nominee.

As to the lesser courts, I don’t know if they voted down any Clinton judges but they did refuse to vote on some. In between Clinton and Cleveland there was a rat President and GOP Senate for only 4 years. So it is possible that no lesser court nominees were voted down either.

[BillyBoy]

I just looked it up. The GOP controlled the Senate during lame-duck years of the Wilson and Truman adminstrations, and throughout most of Clinton's presidency. They never held it during the Carter years, but Carter made no Supreme Court appointments. Even when they didn't control the Senate, if the RATs had less than 60 seats then the GOP would have been able to block a judge. Basically that means the only time they were powerless was during the FDR and LBJ years (and ironically, LBJ's presidency was the ONLY they actually DID stop a SCOTUS appointment, thanks to getting some Dems on board to delay LBJ's 11th hour attempt to elevate Abe Fortas from associate justice to Chief Justice)

Overall I'd say the GOP's record on standing up against activist liberal judges is pretty pathetic. Wilson and Clinton appointed tons of far-left loons during their time in office.

[LibLieSlayer]

Lugar would have been a surprise a couple of years ago but he is now in full blown rino mode... snowe is a succubus for satan and martinez is foreign spy and traitor. IMHO only... but it is still the truth.

LLS

[Clintonfatigued]

In more recent news, Susan Collins of Maine announced her support for Sotomayor, to the surprise of no one.